Improvement in washing-machines



J. coNTnELL. *Washing-Machines Patented June'16,l874.

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mamans OOO O00. 000000@ Q Q o OOOOOMO O COG@v O WITNEssEs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOllN CONTR-ELL, OF NEV YORUK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,680, dated June 1G, 1ST-l', application filed February 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lToi-IN (QoNTnELL, ot' the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vashing-Machines, of which the t'ollowin is a specication: n

rlhe invention will tirst be fully described, and then pointed out in the claim.

.Figure 1 is .a top view, partly in section. Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation, the section being taken on the line a: x of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section ot' Fi l taken on the line y y.

Similar letters ol' reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the tub or box, ol' rectangular form. In this box are placed on edge three (more or less) movable ribbed plates, B. These ribbed plates are given a horizontal longitudinal niotion, by means of the transverse crank-shaft C, which is supported on stands D above the top of the machine. E represents the cranks in this shaft. F are rods, which connect the cranks with the ribbed plates B, the longitudinal motion being governed b v the throw ot' the cranks. The cranks, it will be noticed,

` are so arranged that the central. plat-e, which is ribbed on both sides, moves in a direction contrarY to that of the outside plates. The clothes to be washed are placed in the spaces G between the reciprocating plates. The proper quantity of water being in the machine the clothes will be forced into spaces H bctween the ribs o1' the plates, and being thus held, will receive an alternate back and forward motion nearly identical with hand-motion. \\"hen receiving this motion the clothes are more or less compressed; but there is no rubbing or other action to tear or injure the clothes. The .reciprocating ribbed plates B are kept in place by ribs l, (see Fig. 3,) or by an Lv other suitable means, attached to the bottom, and to the covering-pieces J J. The reciprocatin g ribbed plates B are connected at their ends b v perforated flexible diaphragms K, to prevent the clothes from getting bctwcen the box and the ends ot' the plates B. L is a faucet, by means of which the water is drawn ott'. L is a ily-wheel on the crankshaft. -m and N are tube-sections, one near the top and one near the bottom of one of the ends of the machine. Tubes are attached to these sections, which extend to a steam-generator, by means of which a circulation ot' Water is maintained in the machine. The pressure of steam 1n the generator will cause a current et' water to 110W through the upper tube, and a corresponding current will tion' back to the generator through the lower tube, it being understood that a pipe attached 'to the sections m N extends into and through the machine, by which the heat of the steam is imparted to the water in the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Trotters la-tentl. rlhe combination with box A, of ribbed plates B B B, placed vertically in the box, having spaces Il between the ribs, as shown and described, to enable the ribs to gripe the clothes, as with the human hand, and thus create friction between the parts of the clothes that are rubbed together, as set forth.

2. The combination, with reciprocatingplates l, of flexible diaphragms K arranged at each end ot' thc boxv A, as a-nd for the purpose specicd.

l OH CONTRE Ll).

Witnesses:

T. B. Mosman, ALEX. F. RonEnTs. 

